BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will undergo a second wrist operation in four years on Monday and miss the rest of the season, Argentine media reported.

Del Potro, who pulled out of the Miami tournament this week, will have surgery on his left wrist which he uses for his backhand, having had an operation on his right wrist in May 2010.

The big Argentine, who won the Sydney tournament in January before a disappointing Australian Open, has dropped down the ranking from world number four to eighth and last played at Dubai nearly a month ago.

The 25-year-old tried to overcome his problem with physiotherapy but has now decided to resort to American surgeon Richard Berger, the wrist specialist who operated on his right wrist in 2010, the daily La Nacion reported on Saturday.

"I have the experience of how the rehabilitation is, the time it takes," La Nacion quoted Del Potro as having said when he pulled out of Indian Wells two weeks ago and foresaw the possibility of surgery.

"This time, a good thing is I won't lose so much time seeking a diagnosis. In 2010, it took me two to three months to find the right diagnosis and the right doctor. This time, luckily, I know."

Sad news, he's really following Haas footsteps only he managed to get 1 slam in time it seems.

These guys suffered a lot because of the injuries.

Yeah, but Tommy's injury was self-induced.

"After I threw my racket when I got broken at three-all I felt a lot of pain in my shoulder and it never really got away," the 35-year-old Haas said. "The pain was getting worse. And the smart player's decision has to be not to continue, unfortunately."-Brazil semis

Yeah it was more hilarious than Wimbly vs Tipsy when he tripped over a tennis ball.

Don't get me wrong, his entire career has been a tragedy. But this one was on him.

Nope. It has been dragging all this year. He ret. from AO having same old shoulder issues. When he threw that racket, it simply enhanced those problems from before.Not to mention that after it he fairly played 3 matches in IW with almost no issue at all.

I was at this casino minding my own business, and this guy came up to me and said, "You're gonna have to move, you're blocking a fire exit." As though if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run. If you're flammible and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit. - Mitch Hedberg

I was at this casino minding my own business, and this guy came up to me and said, "You're gonna have to move, you're blocking a fire exit." As though if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run. If you're flammible and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit. - Mitch Hedberg